Round Up: EDF Energy Cup

27 October 2008 14:29pm

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Welsh sides top three of the four groups as the EDF Energy Cup reaches the final round of the group stage.

However, all those leading Welsh regions face matches with the second placed English club in their group this weekend, meaning the look of the semi-final, scheduled to take place at the Ricoh Arena Coventry on Saturday 28th March, could yet be radically altered.

Gloucester Rugby are the only English team to head a group, sitting on top of Group A with wins over London Wasps and Newport Gwent Dragons already under their belts. A win at Kingston Park against Newcastle Falcons on Sunday would guarantee them their first Anglo-Welsh semi-final. Should they falter and they wouldn't be the first to find Kingston Park a tough place to get a result, then the winners of the London Wasps versus Newport Gwent Dragons match will be there to sweep up and claim the semi-final spot.

Cardiff Blues cemented their position at the top of Group B with a comprehensive win over Leicester Tigers at Cardiff Arms Park. They stay in their famous old ground this week for the visit of Guinness Premiership leaders Bath Rugby and will be favourites to qualify. For their part, Bath Rugby will know that a win should clinch qualification for them, although Leicester Tigers could still get through if they convincingly beat Sale Sharks as they beat Bath Rugby in round one, giving them an advantage in the case of the teams being equal on points.

In Group C the Ospreys continued to justify their tag as pre-tournament favourites, with a four try victory over Mike Ruddock's Worcester Warriors side on Sunday at Sixways.

Ospreys now travel to Reading to take on London Irish at the Madejski Stadium. The Exiles produced a glittering performance to see off Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop and may well fancy their chances of upsetting those odds to knock-out the EDF Energy Cup holders.

Worcester Warriors could still sneak through. They find themselves in a similar position to Leicester Tigers, having beaten London Irish in round one, they could still go through if they manage to convincingly beat Harlequins at Sixways and finish level on points with the Exiles.

The Scarlets are the third Welsh region to boast a one hundred percent record, running out comfortable winners against Bristol Rugby in the last competitive match at Stradey Park before Scarlets move down the road to the new Park Y Scarlets.

Their banana skin could well be Northampton Saints, who play host to the Scarlets at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday in front of the BBC cameras. Defeat at Vicarage Road to Eddie Jones's thrusting young Saracens has dented their chances of progressing, but a win against Scarlets would most likely secure their passage through to what would be virtually a home semi-final.

Saracens could yet qualify if they can register a big win against Bristol Rugby. That would leave them hoping that Northampton only scrape past their Welsh opponents and the Men in Black finish level on points and go through courtesy of their win on Sunday.

Three matches will be live this weekend, beginning with the match from the Arms Park between Cardiff Blues and Bath Rugby on Friday evening. The match kicks off at 7.35pm and will be live on BBC Wales.

The network match is Northampton Saints versus Scarlets from Franklin's Gardens kicking off at 2.30pm on Saturday 1st November live on BBC One.

Finally, BBC Wales will cover the visit of the Opsreys to the Madejski Stadium, kicking off at 3pm on Sunday 2nd November.

All matches in each group will kick-off at the same time. By about 4.45pm on Sunday afternoon we should know the semi-final line-up and the semi-final draw will be made an hour later live on Scrum V.

Tickets for that semi-final are available via Ticketmaster as are tickets for the final, with an offer for children to go to Twickenham for free running until 9th November. Details for supporters wishing to buy tickets are available on www.edfenergycup.com or through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

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